Intoxicating Temptress
by Mixer18
Summary: Yusei is someone takes any challenge head-on. This one, however, has him scratching his head. More importantly, who is this "Strawberry Rose"? How does she know so much about Yusei? Caution: later chapters get...steamy. Finally complete.
1. Chapter 1

_I take back my comments from 'Seven Days' when I said I wouldn't have any new ideas for a while. I've got something, but it will come in lengthy and spread-out installments. This will have a mystery element present. Plus, Yusei is still anchored with the twins in this tale. It's also told in his point of view._

People often say there's a mystery to solve in every life. I seem to think that's true. My life has been one big question for as long as I can remember.

This night, however, was the first step into something deep for me. I was looking out my window at the full moon. Usually a full moon says that there is something going to happen. I didn't come to that conclusion at that time. "It's a pleasant sight," I said to myself. Then, the quiet atmosphere I was enjoying was shattered by a woodpecker-paced knocking.

"Who is it?" I yelled. "It's me Yusei," a small male voice echoed through the door, "but the door is locked." Since it was in my nature to be courteous, I opened the door and Leo tumbled down in front of me. "What is it?" I asked the boy. Once he stood up and dusted himself off, the boy answered, "Sorry to disturb your personal quiet time, but Luna told me to tell you that dinner is ready." I looked over at my clock, and it displayed 6:30pm as the time. "So it is," I conjectured, "I'll be down in a few minutes." Leo then scurried down to the kitchen to relay my response to his sister.

These children, Luna and Leo, are a marvel to me. Even though they're twins, they are different from each other in more ways than one. The boy is the more hyperactive one of the two, while the girl is the voice of reason. I've never met any other twins before them, and I'm glad to have met these two. Their parents are never around, and they've adopted me as a big brother to them. Plus, I see them as the kid brother and sister I've missed since my days in the Satellite.

I made the short journey from my room to the kitchen where a delicious aroma wafted through the air. "What smells so good?" I asked between sniffs. "That Yusei," Luna recited, "is the smell of lasagna. I kinda got the idea after reading one of Leo's _Garfield_ books." I couldn't help but chuckle at her. The boy, on the other hand, was salivating as the foil was peeled off of the pan. "Come on, come on! Dish it already!" he demanded. "Hold your horses," the girl scolded her brother, "I can only go so fast." Leo started banging the table like a monkey, upset by the fact that he had to continue to wait. Luna carefully divided the pasta into six even squares. One would be enough for me and Luna, while Leo would gobble down the remaining three.

As I scrubbed, rinsed, and dried the pan and dinner platters, the twins were going about whatever they do any old night. The boy was viewing some show, the name of which I didn't bother to learn. The girl was listening to her iPod. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening here.

Perhaps I spoke too soon. The doorbell rang and an envelope was slid under the door. Leo, trying to be helpful, retrieved and brought it to me. "What is it?" I asked him. The boy didn't answer right away, as he smelled the envelope for some reason. "I have no idea what this is," Leo answered, flapping the envelope in his hand, "but it has your name on it, and it smells like….strawberries." Not completely grasping what he just said, I snatched the envelope from his hands and examined it. The boy was right. My name was inscribed on the front, in magenta red ink and written in a fancy stylized handwriting. As for the scent, it was strawberries. "What do you suppose it is?" the boy asked, peering onto the envelope.

The three of us gathered around the living room table, our vision fixated on the envelope. "Well, aren't we going to open it?" Luna finally asked, breaking the silence around us. I exhaled, flipped the envelope over, placed my left hand on the lower left-hand corner, and opened the sealed flap with my right index finger. Once I opened the flap, an even stronger concentration of the strawberry scent burst through. "That is strong," I commented. I pulled the letter out in the same way I draw cards from my deck. I unfolded it, and the twins came closer to me so they could read it as well.

"Yusei, I've been watching you for some time now," the letter read, "and I see you are a man of mystery to the average eye. To me, I see someone who likes cracking challenges. You managed to traverse the only connection between the city and Satellite. You built a deck out of cards no other duelist deemed worthy to be in their deck. You even constructed two duel runners, the first of which was taken by the great Jack Atlas, out of New Domino refuse. That's what I call ingenuity. Now I pose this challenge to you. First off is a riddle: What circulates continuously but stands still at the same time? Solve the riddle and the next part of the challenge will be revealed. I'll be watching with great interest, and you'll find out my real name when you finally track me down. Signed, Strawberry Rose."

Right below this person's fake name was an imprinted kiss. So I guess whoever wrote the letter has to be a woman. I was still puzzled at what she mentioned in the letter. How could she have found out everything I've done? She found out regardless, and I had to find out who she was.

"Hey Yusei," Leo interrupted, "there's something else in here." The boy pulled a transparent plastic slip, which contained a long strawberry-red hair. I picked the slip out of his hands and held it up to the light to see it more clearly. "What do you suppose it is?" Luna asked. I didn't answer her right away, as I continued to look through the slip. "Whoever this mystery woman is, her hair is this color," I inferred, referring to the strawberry color of the hair strand.

After the twins had called it quits for the day and went to bed, I was still pacing back and forth in my room; still in thought on this challenge I've been issued. I had to start on this riddle: what circulates continuously but stands still at the same time? What did this riddle want me to do? More importantly, who was this "Strawberry Rose"? How did she find out so much about me? Maybe she wants to test my skills. The riddle would have to wait until morning, as I slipped into a deep slumber.

_I have a few questions to pose to you all. Can you crack the riddle? How long should this tale go? Why do you think I used the strawberry as a reference point? Keep the guesses coming, as well as ideas for the upcoming parts of Yusei's challenge. It will be intricate. Stay tuned for the next part._


	2. Chapter 2

_The mystery continues to unravel here. Plus, the answer to the riddle is revealed here. Were any of the guesses correct?_

After stewing on the riddle for a night, I awoke, still trying to figure out the answer. "What circulates continuously but stands still at the same time?" Is there a spiritual or logical answer to the riddle?

As I paced back and forth on the floor, a more gentle and even-paced knocking came on my door, a stark contrast from last night. "It's open," I told whoever was knocking. Sure enough, it was Luna who was knocking. She silently stepped up to me. "Are you still trying to figure out the riddle?" she asked me. I gave the small girl a weary sigh as my answer. Her eyes trailed to the envelope that was on my desk. "Who exactly would want to challenge you and hide her identity for you to find out as well?" Luna pondered. I sighed again and answered, "No idea, but we'll come up with something."

Leo soon followed our act and got up as well. While the twins got through breakfast, I stood at the window at the front, looking out over the city. "Who are you Strawberry Rose?" I thought in my mind. On the streets below, cars were moving to and fro, and people were navigating through the sidewalks. As I tried to formulate an answer, I twiddled the slip with the hair strand between my fingers. While I stewed, I heard strange sounds coming from the television.

It turned out to be one of Leo's video games. I think it was some kind of racing game. "Do you have to go and start playing…" I said but abruptly stopped. I stared at the screen, where race cars of ridiculous fashion raced about in a giant circuit. "That's it," I breathed. The twins, confused, looked at each other, then at me, and simultaneously asked, "What's it Yusei?" I gave Leo the hand signal to pause the game. "The answer to the riddle," I told them, "it's a race track." The two still continued to look at me, not understanding anything. "A race track circulates continuously to the racer, but stands still to the audience," I summed up. Luna's face told me that she understood it right away, while Leo's took a little longer to give the go-ahead.

The game was shut off, and the three of us were around the table, looking at the letter. "So, if it's a race track, which one?" Leo asked. "It has to be the one Jack races on," I hypothesized. There was no other choice that sense. With that in mind, we went down to where my runner was and took off to where the Fortune Cup was held.

We managed to get inside without any hassle. The track was bigger than it was made to be on television. "This thing is huge!" the boy commented. Not wanting to start anything, I sidestepped what Leo had said and came up with an attack plan. "This is what we'll do," I explained, "you two go one way and look for anything out of the ordinary, and I'll go the other way and do the same."

While the twins searched on foot, I went about on my wheels at their lowest speed. For a period of time, none of us found anything. Then a small female voice shouted to get my attention. "Yusei, I found something!" Luna shouted. Acting on impulse, I kicked my ride into high gear and sped over to the far side of the stadium. When I got there, Luna was standing in the middle of the track, and had another envelope, plus a rose, in her hands. "These have the same scent as the first one," she told me. I took the envelope and smelled it for myself: strawberry. Obviously, whoever this woman was, she must love the smell of strawberry. Wanting the challenge to progress, I tore the envelope open and scanned over the letter, with the twins peering in as well.

"If you are reading this, then you managed to solve the riddle. I applaud you Yusei. I knew you wouldn't back down. Now let's see if you can crack this one. Where can one travel through time and still stay in the present day? As for the rose, that's my calling card. Don't lose it now. When we finally meet, you'll need to have it on hand, so I know it's you. I'll be waiting. Signed, Strawberry Rose."

This letter had the same imprinted kiss as the first one. Does this woman have some fascination about me? What about this rose? It has the strawberry scent, with traces of its natural aroma. "What now Yusei?" Leo asked. I looked at the boy out of the corner of my eye. "Now, we go home," I answered.

Once we got back, Leo bolted for the couch and sprawled out to relax after the searching we all did. Luna stayed by my side as we went upstairs. "Yusei," she asked in a worried voice, "aren't you afraid this person will try to hurt you?" I looked down at the concerned girl; I could understand why she was so concerned about me. She doesn't want to lose the closest person to her that wasn't Leo. I patted her back to reassure that I was going to be fine. "If someone wanted to harm me, that person would have confronted me already," I elaborated. I gave Luna a warm smile to seal the deal. "Now, why don't you go relax? You and your brother helped me plenty for one day," I suggested. Luna headed back to the living room, and I went in my room to get some thinking done.

I entered the dark room and a dark silhouette in the shape of a woman on my bed. This silhouette was formed to look enticing and attractive to any male who would have seen it. "Who are you?" I asked the silhouette before flipping the lights on. When the lamp turned on, the silhouette was gone. Even stranger, there was no sign that anyone else had lied on my bed; it was still made from the morning. "What is going on here?" I told no one in particular. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, but that didn't seem likely. I gazed down at the floor and saw a shadow pass under the door. It was in the same shape as the silhouette. I rushed to open the door, only to see that no one else was up there but me. "What is going on here?" I pondered. If I wanted these hallucinations to stop, I had to get some much-needed sleep.

_Not only does Yusei have to solve another riddle, now he has these woman-shaped shadows following him around as well. Let's see if you all can crack the riddle. Stay tuned for the next part._


	3. Chapter 3

_To those who guessed "museum" as the answer to the second riddle, you are right. Now, there are strange shapes following Yusei. Where will these shapes pop up next?_

As I was consumed in a deep sleep, the second riddle continued to echo in my mind. "Where can one travel through time but still stay in the present?" What does that entail? To make matters worse, the silhouette I saw before I went to sleep was in my dreams as well. It even called out my name, in a long-lost, sultry voice, "Yusei…"

I awoke with beads of sweat on my face. "What was that?" I exhaled. Whoever this Strawberry Rose was, she managed to merge whatever influence she had into my mind. I hopped up and drew back the curtains, only to be stung by the bright morning sun. "That's bright," I commented about the light. I leaned my head up against the window pane, still stumped on the riddle. My pensive mood was broken by a quiet knock on my door, who I presumed was Luna. "It's open," I told whoever knocked. My guess was right; Luna shuffled in with a concerned expression on her face. "Is everything OK?" she asked me, "I heard you hyperventilating." I brought my hand up to my forehead, in order to wipe the sweat off. "I'm alright," I tried to reassure the small girl. "I think I had some kind of nightmare." Luna's eyes scanned over to the letter on my desk. "Strawberry Rose?" she inquired. I nodded a solemn "yes." The small girl took a few steps closer to me. "Maybe you'll think better when you've had something to eat," Luna prescribed. As if on cue, my stomach uttered a low growl, a sign that hunger was on my list of worries. "I guess you're right," I half-chuckled. Luna skipped out and down to the kitchen, hoping to lend a helping hand. "That little girl is a miracle to me," I told no one.

While breakfast was in construction, I was in the bathroom, trying to wash my face of any sweat left over. "That feels better," I said to myself as the cold water dripped off of my face. As I dried off, I thought I felt a slender womanly hand on my back. I whipped my head around to see it was: no one. My eyes scanned every nook and cranny in the bathroom to see if anyone, other than me, was in there. I breathed in and out in even paces, still spooked on what I've seen and, now, felt. "This is weird…" I stated to thin air.

Breakfast came and went in a snap. Even though it was filling, and delicious, my mind wasn't deterred from what had transpired. Trying to get my mind onto something else, I found the morning newspaper and decided to read it. I sat on the couch and opened the paper up to the local news. Nothing jumped out to me, until I came across an ad for the museum in New Domino.

"Come see treasures from ages past," the ad read, "only for this week." That was the answer to the second riddle: a museum. Why didn't I see it before? Regardless, I relayed the information to the twins, and we were off to the museum.

The three of us arrived at the museum as quickly as we left for it in the first place. Once we got inside, Leo asked, "So….where do we look?" My vision panned over the foyer and the start of the exhibits. "We have to keep our eyes open for anything out of the ordinary," I composed. Like a band of travelers, we trekked into the museum, looking for the next clue.

We made our way past many of the permanent exhibits: artifacts, maps, nature displays, etc. While we continued our search, an extremely faint scent of strawberry made its way into my nose. "There's that strawberry smell again," I told the twins. They took a smell, only to shrug at me, meaning they couldn't smell it. I dismissed the notion, and we forged onward.

After one hour of searching, we stopped to catch our breath. "This is hopeless," Leo lamented, "it'll take us forever to find that clue." Although he was exaggerating, the boy was right. The museum was gigantic, and even if we couldn't find the clue, it may end up being swept out. "Alright then," I said while stretching my back, "let's keep going." Luna kept quiet, obviously not complaining. Leo, on the other hand, would not keep quiet.

After passing an exhibit that predicted what the future would bring, I stopped to think this through a different way. "Where would she want me to look?" I thought. My eyes trailed over to a poster that advertised something about roses and its effect on human memory. Then it hit me again. If this Strawberry Rose had a thing for her flower namesake, she would keep anything mystery-related near roses. I alerted the twins, and we dashed off to find the rose exhibit.

We searched everywhere we could think of, and Luna was the first to find it. "Over here!" she yelled to me and Leo. The boy and I trotted up to see an entire wing covered in rose red. "It has to be in here," I hoped. We entered with caution and split up to find the clue.

I passed various patches of different colored roses. Some were white, others were green, which was strange, and there were also traditional red roses. I even came across some hybrid roses, which were pretty neat. I looked down and there was another envelope, just like the first two. "Hey guys! Over here!" I hollered out to Luna and Leo. They arrived in time to see me retrieve the envelope from the hybrid rose patch. They kept quiet as I tore the envelope open and pull the letter out.

"If you are reading this, then you have solved the second riddle. Bravo Yusei. If you're still wondering as to what my true identity is, it will be revealed in due time. I ask you to be patient. Plus, by this point, you should have seen strange silhouettes and shadows of an attractive woman. My power has gotten to you, and it will remain with you until the challenge is complete. Speaking of which, ponder this: where can the heart always be found? It's simple enough, so you should get it without trouble. I'll be waiting. Signed, Strawberry Rose."

She was cunning enough to know that those silhouette things are bugging me. This mystery continued to deepen. The kids and I walked out of the museum without much chatter. As we made the journey home, my mind still stewed on the letter and what it read. "My power has gotten to you, and it will remain with you until the challenge is complete."

_So, it turns out that the silhouettes are there because of the mystery woman. Can Yusei solve the riddle before he's haunted again? Plus, who else can solve the riddle?_


	4. Chapter 4

_OK, every riddle I've used in the story was pretty easy to solve. Now, they're going to get more difficult._

The twins and I took our time walking out of the museum. We weren't in any hurry to get home. Of course, as always, Leo had to ask that question no one wanted to answer. "Yusei," he began, "why did the letter say something about silhouettes following you?" I looked at the boy with an exasperated stare. "Somehow, this woman has managed to haunt me with strange shapes and stuff, and until I find out who she is, they'll continue to bug me," I relayed. Leo didn't have a response to my explanation, which I kind of expected.

We got out to my runner, ready to contemplate the next move. As we got on, the boy said, "Home is where the heart is." How come I never got it earlier? It was right in plain sight. "That's the answer," I replied. "What's the answer?" the twins asked. I cranked my head back so I could see them. "Leo's the one who said it," I told them, "home is where the heart is. This Strawberry Rose wanted us to get out of the house so she could leave the next riddle." They nodded to say that they understood. I brought the engine to life, and we were off.

Not long after our departure from the museum, we got home. Sure enough, the next clue was waiting for us as well. Lying on top of the welcome mat was a DVD case. This would be a major break in the challenge. I could actually have a chance to see her face.

The twins crowded around my computer as I put the disc in. Almost immediately, the screen went completely dark, and a white outline in the shape of a woman drew up against the backdrop.

"Greetings Yusei," the outline spoke in the same sultry voice from my nightmare, "you managed to crack the riddle from the museum, and you're ready for the next part. Before that happens, it's only fair that I tell you why you're doing this." Even though I couldn't see her face, this would make up for it.

"I've been watching you for some time now," the outline said, "and there was something…different about you than others have seen. On the outside, people judge you as a no-good because of your criminal mark. I never saw you as a criminal; you're someone who wants to make something better for yourself. As my observance of you continued, you've gained new friends, and you even bested the once-great Jack Atlas. There's one piece missing in your life. That's where I come in. Should you complete my challenge, I'll show you the missing piece. Speaking of which, you have another riddle to solve: what's the one question you can never answer? If you can get the answer, you should be able to infer about where to go next. Until we meet….dearest."

The message stopped there, and the disc popped out by will of the computer. The twins looked at me with curious eyes. "Yusei, how are we supposed to find out the one question you can never answer?" Luna asked. As I returned the disc to its case, I answered, "If the question is the answer to the riddle, perhaps it'll take some thinking from another angle." Leo put his hand under his chin, like he was doing some intense thinking. That didn't seem likely. "This particular riddle sounds like _Jeopardy_," he composed. It made sense, but this wasn't a trivia game. "OK Yusei, we'll get out of your hair," Luna said while sweeping her brother out to the hall. I closed the door to ensure the possibility of quiet.

I lied on my bed to see if my thoughts could get running again. As I stared at the ceiling, more questions than answers ran through my head. What did Strawberry Rose mean by the missing piece in my life? What was her real identity? Why did she call me "dearest"? I felt that I couldn't answer these questions right away. The only sensible thing to do was take a nap. Maybe some sleep would cure what ailed me.

My dreams brought me to some strange abandoned street. It reminded me of the streets from Satellite. No one was around. The concrete was full of cracks. Trash littered the ground. Yep, it was just like home. I was the only one there; at least that's what I thought. Off in the distance, there was a female figure as the street narrowed into the horizon. I ran towards the figure, hoping to see who it was. As I got closer, the same strawberry scent from the real world found me and got stronger. Eventually, I reached the figure, which turned out to be another black silhouette. "Who are you?" I asked the shape. It didn't answer back with words, but it extended its arm out to me. I did the same, hoping to touch it. A small static shock was created between our fingers and that broke the dream.

My eyes shot open, and I sat up to see what the clock said. It read 5:55pm. I was asleep for almost five hours. A knock and voice protruded through my door. "Yusei, I hope you're in the mood for pizza," Luna said. Her footsteps began to echo as she got further away from my room. I looked at the DVD that was still next to my computer. I wheeled over and put it in again; maybe I could look for clues in the message.

As the message replayed, I kept repeating the riddle in my head. What's the one question you can never answer? There was already a clue in the riddle: the word "can." That implies the riddle referring to experience. When people ask others about their experience, they ask things like, "What's it like?" or "What did you do?" I kept that in mind as I analyzed the message. The only thing I picked up was a faint backdrop of a cemetery. If it's a cemetery, it has to involve death. I decided to piece the puzzle together later as I treaded to the kitchen to join the twins.

"Hey Yusei, any luck?" Leo greeted me. His sister flicked him in the ear to scold him a little, which I found a bit amusing. "He'll tell us when he's made progress," she informed. "I….think I have something," I tried to say. While the girl sliced the pizza, she asked, "What do you have?" I breathed in and out slowly, trying to collect my thoughts. "The riddle is referring to experience," I stated, "and the background in the message revealed a cemetery, which has something to do with death." As Luna passed the slices around, she commented, "What could it mean?"

_I've revealed enough clues to the riddle. Let's see if you all can solve it, and maybe your answers are the same as mine for the next part. All you have to do is wait until then. Plus, I need to know how long the overall story should be. _


	5. Chapter 5

_I left the last part with all of you scratching your heads. You don't have to worry any longer; the answer will be revealed. Plus, the next riddle will be equally or more difficult._

As the pizza was devoured slice by slice, the three of us continued to hypothesize on what the answer was. "Death and experience, how are they linked?" I pondered. "What about your parents?" Luna interjected, "we haven't tried that." I gazed at the girl with a confused look. "What about them?" I fired back, a little upset. "Think about it," she explained, "Since they unfortunately died in the Zero Reverse accident, you never had a chance to know who they were and underlying details of their deaths." I cocked my eyebrow at her, still not understanding her logic. "That's what the riddle is asking: what's it like to dead?" she finished. I finally got what she was saying; no person could ever answer that question, since that person would dead already.

The twins and I referred back to the DVD message. Strawberry Rose had intentionally filmed her message at a cemetery, and she wanted us to find that out, plus use that to solve the riddle. Now the next thing was simplicity itself: go to the same cemetery.

Leo, being a chicken and all, declined to come along with me and his sister. It was strange; I wouldn't have pegged Luna as someone to visit a cemetery. She shouldn't be seeing things like this at her age. I wasn't one to tell her she shouldn't go; if she wanted to, who was I to deny her?

We got to the cemetery as the sun dropped below the horizon. As we got past the gate, I looked at Luna, who was calm and collected. "Handling everything OK?" I asked her. She nodded "yes" very gingerly. I took her word for it, and we went on, passing various tombstones.

The two of us came across a memorial dedicated to the Zero Reverse victims. The inscription read: "This monument forever pays tribute to those individuals who were lost in the creation of the two societies near us today." As Luna and I read the inscription, at the bottom was yet another envelope. My name was written on the front in the same stylized handwriting. I exhaled slowly and extended my arm to pick it up. I brought it up to my face so I could see it better. We made the trek back to my runner, since it was the only nearby source of light.

I flipped on the computer, so I could see the letter. I removed it from its holding place; Luna huddled in close to see it as well. "Moment of truth," I told her as I unfolded the paper.

"Looks like you found out the answer to the last riddle," the letter read, "Impressive. I didn't think you'd get it. Regardless, you did, and that's what I wanted. Your journey is just about complete. There's this riddle to solve and one more. Any questions you have about me will be answered when you track me down. I can't forget the riddle. Try to crack this: what can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps? Solve this riddle and the next one, and you'll see who I am. I'll be waiting… Signed, Strawberry Rose."

I folded the letter back up and inserted it into my coat pocket. "What's next?" Luna asked me. With a short exhale, I replied, "We solve the riddle, and we'll be one step closer to the end of this ordeal." The engine shot to life, and we sped back to the Tops.

We passed car after car on the freeway leading into the city. While I navigated the bike through traffic, I continued to ponder what Strawberry Rose really wanted. There has to be some underlying motive to all of this. Could she really have mysterious powers, and why would she use them to toy with me? I really shouldn't have been thinking while driving. I looked ahead to see a slow moving truck. I tried to slow down as fast as I could but did not in time. I rear ended the truck, and I shot forth into the back window, smashing it with my head. I felt scratches going across my chest, which I guessed were from the glass shards. I didn't see if Luna was alright, seeing as how I was knocked unconscious.

Time seemed to take forever while I was out. Who knows how long it took? I didn't think I suffered a concussion but it was dangerously close. There were momentary lapses where I could faintly hear voices saying words I couldn't apprehend.

I awoke in a hospital room, where the only sound I heard was from the heart monitor. It was beeping at a consistent pace, a sign that I was OK. I tried to sit up but was unable to. I felt as though I was brutally attacked. I lowered my vision to see that my chest was wrapped several times over with gauze. I must have been scratched pretty well. I ran my palm across my forehead and found out there were stitches on it. My head must have been split open. "Help…" I desperately wheezed.

My cry for help got the attention of the twins, who fell asleep in the room I was in. They leaped onto me in rejoice that I was alive. I recoiled in pain from their impact. "Sorry Yusei," Leo apologized. "It's OK," I reassured the boy. "How are you feeling?" Luna asked with concern in her voice. "I'll be fine," I replied, "hopefully soon." I looked back at my gauze-wrapped chest. "How severe was I hurt?" I asked. The twins looked at each other in fear. Leo was the first to say, "There was a brief period where the doctors feared they couldn't save you in time." I said nothing as I felt the stitches again. "We were afraid you wouldn't make it," Luna said, "and we didn't want you to die." I smiled weakly at the twins. "Good thing I'm still here; I have something to finish," I told the two. Sure enough, I fell back into a deep slumber as the pain caused me to go unconscious again. I could only hope the twins stayed by my side.

_Yusei nearly died from his crash, but that can't happen. As for the riddle, let's see if your answers match up to what Yusei will have. Plus, he'll be receiving a dream visit from a notable figure._


	6. Chapter 6

_When last we left Yusei, he was in critical but stable condition at the hospital. Right now, the challenge and whoever's orchestrating it isn't important, or is it?_

The pain that continued to surge through my body brought me back to a deep sleep. Right then, going into a dream world wasn't too appealing to me.

I was transported to the same street from before. No other living thing could be seen for miles. At least, that's what I thought. A pattern of footsteps began to echo through the air.

I turned around to see a most interesting sight. Standing on the other side of the street was a well-shaped woman. She was dressed in a sparkling magenta gown, with an inverted v-cut near the bottom that showed off one of her legs. Her hair shared an identical color as her formal attire, and it danced about in the gentle breeze. Her face was completely concealed by a bone white mask that only had indentations where her eyes would be.

"Who are you?" I asked the mystery woman. "You'll learn my real name in due time," she said in the same sultry voice from before, "but you may address me as Strawberry Rose." Her name reverberated off of the rubble before it reached me. Even though this some kind of dream, I can't let this go to waste. "Why are you putting me through all these riddles?" I begged the question. She turned away from me, but not before saying, "All queries will be answered if you follow me." The masked woman then walked off toward a city skyline in the distance. I had no choice but to follow Strawberry Rose.

I couldn't get alongside her, no matter how fast I caught up to her. After what seemed like an eternity of walking, we reached the city, which could've been New Domino from a certain standpoint. She stopped amongst the crowds of people, and I managed to get next to her. "Why are we here?" I pondered. The masked woman took her left index finger and ran it around my mouth. I could smell the same strawberry scent on her. "You'll see," she teased.

Strawberry Rose led me into some kind of cabana. We made it inside, and the sounds of piano, cello, and saxophone melded together to create a mellow atmosphere. Even the light scheme that accompanied it added to the laid back motif. We managed to find an unoccupied booth and sat down.

"So Yusei," Strawberry Rose said, "how are things on your end?" I stayed quiet for a few seconds before I decided to answer. "I don't understand why I have to do this," I told her. "Do what?" she asked. I placed one finger on my forehead, trying to contemplate an answer. "You know, the….the….challenge you're making me do," I stammered. The woman nodded slightly at what I said. After placing her delicate hands on top of each other and resting her chin on them, she said, "The challenge is something I created to test your mettle as a person, and to see if you're something more." What was she talking about? Testing my mettle? Why that? "What do you mean by 'something more'?" I asked. She sighed and replied, "I've issued similar challenges to other men in the past, and they all failed to finish them; you, however, are near the end, and the reward will be well worth your troubles." She got up and walked outside, and I wheeled after her.

When I made it outside, she was waiting for me. "Before my influence leaves your dreams," she relayed, "I think at least I should show you the answer to the riddle." I followed her for some time to a forest. Eventually, we got to a flowing river. "I don't get it," I confessed to her. "Don't worry," she assured, "you'll get it." Her body faded off into oblivion, and the scenery washed to pitch black.

My eyes shot open as I breathed real heavy. "What was that?" I asked. I looked up at the clock on the wall opposite me. The hands were arranged to display 9:00am. I tried to sit up again but with minimal success. The pain still surged through me with malice. "That hurts," I commented, "it's like a river of torrent." Then it came to me. It was the answer to the riddle: a river. "That's it," I figured out. In my lap, there appeared the next envelope I was supposed to find. How it got there was beyond me, but I didn't care. I looked at the couch near the door to see the twins still snoozing. "Best not to wake them up now," I whispered as I removed the letter and unfolded it.

"Your unfortunate accident was something I didn't plan on occurring," the letter spelled out, "so I decided to visit you in the one place where I knew you could find me. I see now that it was a success. As soon as you figured that the answer was a river, I used my…otherworldly powers to get this last letter to you. One more riddle awaits you, and if you can solve it, you'll be completely healed, which means you'll be able to find me. This riddle is the last one needed to complete the challenge: what kind of running means walking? Solve it and you're done. Signed, Strawberry Rose."

That seemed to lift my spirits; one more riddle is what I have to solve. As I gently dabbed the sweat around the stitches on my forehead, there was a slip sticking out of the envelope. I don't know how I could've missed it before. Even so, I pulled the slip out, which was stiff. It turned out to be a picture. I flipped it over to see that it was the same woman from my dream/vision. The bone white mask was there, the sparkling magenta gown with the leg v-cut, plus a v-shape that showed off her cleavage. "Wow…" I mouthed silently. I snapped back to see the twins were still asleep. I returned the letter to its envelope and hid the picture under my pillow. I rested my head on it and decided to wait until the kids woke up.

_One more riddle to go. Plus, who would've thought Yusei came so close to seeing who Strawberry Rose was? As the great Alton Brown says, "Your patience will be rewarded."_


	7. Chapter 7

_Yusei is that much closer to seeing who this mysterious woman really is. If his guess on the final riddle is correct, he'll also be healed that much more quickly._

I continued to sit on the hospital bed, patiently waiting for the twins to wake up. Their soft breathing was masked by the beeping of the heart monitor. "Those two are sound sleepers," I thought. I'd walk over and nudge them awake if I could, but if I did, the pain would cause me to pass out again. Instead, I tapped my fingers on the bed sheets. Maybe it was the beeps from the heart monitor that got Luna up before her brother. She stretched like a cat waking up from its nap and silently stepped next to me. "Sleep well?" I asked the girl. She nodded yes with a telltale yawn. The two of us gazed back at the sleeping Leo, whose snores could break a window. "I'll wake him," Luna said. She stepped back to the couch and flicked her brother's ear to disturb his slumber. "What was that for?" he complained. "Sorry to wake you," she scolded him, "but I thought you'd like to know that Yusei is awake now." The weary-eyed boy looked to see if I was OK, and I made a pistol gesture with my right hand to signal I was fine. "Fantastic," Leo yawned. Luna and I shook our heads at the boy.

As soon as I was injected with some pain reliever, it became easier for me to move my upper body without hurting. Leo didn't watch the syringe pierce my arm, saying, "I'm not a big fan of needles." Regardless, I needed to able to move with fluid motion so I could fill the twins on what I saw in my dream.

"If I can solve this last riddle, Strawberry Rose said she'll heal me completely, and I'll be able to find her," I relayed to the twins. Luna scanned over the letter as I told them what had to happen. "What kind of running means walking?" the girl read out loud. All I could was shrug. "I have no idea," I told her, "I mean, I'm surprised to remember anything now." Leo raised his left index finger to indicate he had something to say. "I think I know the answer," he said with confidence. Luna and I looked at each other in slight shock. It doesn't happen often enough that Leo had valuable input in a time of crisis. "Tell us," I said, eager to hear what the boy had to say. Leo took in a few deep breaths before calmly saying, "It has to be running out of gas." The girl and I glanced at each other, not fully grasping Leo's answer. "Can you…explain your answer to us?" Luna asked. "You got to think about it," Leo said, "when a car _runs_ out of gas, the driver has to _walk_ to find help." It seemed to make sense, and it had to because I felt something just fade out of my body.

With the riddle apparently solved, all of the pain I endured from my crash just seemed to dissolve completely. The gauze around my chest also disappeared, along with the stitches on my forehead. "Strawberry Rose…" I said. The twins looked up and down at my body. "How do you feel Yusei?" Luna asked. I hopped onto the floor like I had gotten a new lease on life. "I feel like a new guy," I announced. The three of us walked out to the entrance without being stopped; I guess the doctors were under Rose's influence.

"So," Luna said, "where are you going to look now?" My eyes shifted to the direction of the nearby street. "I think I have an idea," I answered back, "but I should go alone. You two head home." I turned my back to the twins and proceeded to walk into the concrete jungle of New Domino.

As I made my way through the pedestrians, something I hadn't thought about came to me. For some strange reason, I felt as though I had met this Strawberry Rose before the challenge. It was the "when" and "where" part of the equation I couldn't figure out. "Who are you?" I mouthed silently. I reached into my back pocket and pulled the picture out. I strained my memory to see if I could come up with anything but to no avail. I sighed defeated and pocketed the picture again. My focus went back to finding where I hoped to find Strawberry Rose.

Minutes upon minutes of searching led me to a familiar place. I came to the very same cabana I visited in my dream. "She has to be here," I said to myself as I pushed the front door open and strolled inside. My ears were greeted with the same music from before, plus the lights were dimmed to create the same mellow mood. The smell of cigarette smoke and high-end drinks also permeated through the air. "Where could she be?" I wondered. I walked down the short flight of stairs and wandered around the floor.

I searched every occupied table and booth for this mystery woman. I didn't find her there. Maybe she had yet to arrive, looking for me. I took a seat at the bar and patiently played the waiting game. That's when a familiar scent made its way into my nose.

The same strawberry scent managed to not mix with smell of smoke/alcohol and make its way to me. "I know that smell," I commented, "She has to near." I looked up and down the counter, and then I saw a shapely woman sitting by herself at the far end of the bar that was near the stage. I got up from my stool and walked toward her. "Excuse me," I said to get her attention, "but are you Strawberry Rose?" She continued to slurp her daiquiri before answering, "Maybe I am or maybe I'm not. It depends on who's asking." I breathed out and pulled out the rose she gave me earlier. "I believe this rose should tell you," I told her. She removed the rose from my hand and gave a long sniff. "It is you Yusei," she said, "you found me and everything you want to know shall be answered right here." The woman rotated to face me and what I saw was something too extraordinary to behold with common eyes.

_I'll leave this part hanging, and I'll weave another part later on. Yusei has finally found Strawberry Rose, but where does he think he saw her before? Can you all figure it out? _


	8. Chapter 8

_Even though Yusei has found Strawberry Rose, does the story end there? What of her identity as well?_

As soon as I saw her face, everything began to fall in place. "Wait," I pointed out, "you're that Akiza girl from the Fortune Cup. Our two dragons fought in the semifinal match." She nodded to indicate I was correct. "That they did," Akiza said, "I still remember it." I continued to look at her, still confused as to why all this occurred. "Why didn't I recognize you until now?" I asked. She began to laugh lightly at my question. "It's all because of this," Akiza said as she held a small vial between her fingers. I peered in closer to get a better view. "What is it?" I finally asked. "This, my dear Yusei," she responded, "is the concentration of 100 percent strawberry." The glass stopper was removed, and the familiar fruity scent graced my nose again. "So…what makes it special?" I pondered. She laughed lightly again and ran the back of her hand slowly across my left cheek. "You're amusing," Akiza added, "and what makes this so special is that it blocked your memory of me until you completed the challenge." I stayed quiet for a brief period before asking, "Why would you want to block my memory of you?" Akiza rose up from her stool and stepped closer to me. "By making my identity a mystery, you were more intrigued to find out who I was and what I wanted," she explained, "as compared to if I didn't block your memory, you would jump off the bat and automatically assume I have an evil scheme in the works." Now it all made sense to me; with all this evil magic floating around, I would've said Akiza's challenge was part of the Dark Signers' plan. Instead, she blanked my memory of her and sent me around the city. "That's why I smelled strawberry the first time and every time afterwards," I stated, "to ensure I wouldn't find out your identity beforehand." Akiza traced her fingers around the symbol on my shirt. "You figured it all out," she said in a compelling tone. She turned around and walked toward the back door, plus she waved her fingers to say, "Follow me." Like I was in a trance, I followed her out the back.

I found my way into an unkempt alley, and Akiza was standing directly in front of me, her dress sparkling in the moonlight. She looked like a gift from the gods. Even her hair glistened in the light. "Now then Yusei," she told me, "I won't require you to run around New Domino, but I will ask you to follow me." She walked off to my left and I followed her.

The alley seemed to go on forever. We passed numerous closed doors and various trash cans, some of which were greatly dented or knocked over. There were a few lights over the doors we passed. It was about ten minutes until Akiza led me to our destination.

Our final destination was an elegant rose garden. While I made my way inside, there were rows upon rows of rosebushes on either side of me. Some vines were attributed to the walls and ran to and fro.

"Do you like?" Akiza asked me, "I've tended this place for years. Anytime I need to think or be alone, I come here." I continued to take in the spectacle around me. "It's…..beautiful," I stuttered. Akiza walked into a clearing and stood on the far side of it. "I'm glad you think this place is beautiful," she said as I made my way onto the opposite side, "because I thought my garden would be ideal for the second part of the challenge." Now I was confused at her last statement. "Second part?" I repeated back to her, "What's the second part?" Akiza didn't say anything as she held her left arm out in front of her. By what I thought were her psychic powers, her duel disk materialized onto her arm, complete with her deck and signature magenta color. "A duel is the second part?" I asked her. Her nod was all the answer I needed. "I'm up for the second part," I admitted, "but I don't have my gear on hand." Akiza snapped her fingers, and just like that, my duel disk popped onto my arm. "Ready?" she asked me. "You know it," I answered back. The duel was now underway.

"Ladies first," Akiza commented as she drew her first card, "I'll start with Lord Poison." Some kind of walking plant nightmare emerged onto the field. "I'll follow that with a facedown card," she finished as her facedown card came in behind Lord Poison. Now Akiza had four cards in her hand and a full 4000 points.

"Very well," I relayed to her as I drew, "it's my turn. My first monster will be Hyper Synchron." Once I declared the name of my monster, a blue robot rumbled into play. "Now I'll go after your Lord Poison!" I bellowed as my monster charged towards Akiza's. "Before you get all cocky and everything," she calmly retorted, "I'll be using my Wall of Thorns trap card." As soon as her facedown card was flipped face-up, my monster shattered into pieces. With my primary offense gone, I said, "All I can do is put one card facedown." The end of my first turn was exactly like Akiza's: four cards in my hand and 4000 points.

"I'm up then," she said as her hand count increased to five, "and I'll play Evil Thorn." Some kind of Venus flytrap rose up next to Lord Poison. "Now I'll attack you directly!" Akiza spoke up as her monsters lunged toward me. "I'll use Defense Draw to absorb Lord Poison's attack and draw a card," I said as my trap flipped face-up and stopped Lord Poison. Evil Thorn's attack made it through and dropped my score to 3900. "Now I think I'll sacrifice my thorn," Akiza pointed out as the second monster faded away, "to prick you for three hundred points of damage." Now my life points dropped to 3600. "Plus," she added, "I can summon two more Evil Thorns without their special effects." Two more flytraps joined the field also in attack position. "To keep my thorns safe," Akiza continued, "I'll equip Lord Poison with Raregold Armor. Now you can only attack him." The plant nightmare was now donned with a suit of armor. "I think that'll do for me," she said to complete her turn. "By the way," she added, "look down at your feet." I did so and saw my feet and ankles wrapped in rose vines. "What's going on here?" I asked her. Akiza shook her head at my question. "You've managed to save yourself time and again," she stated, "and I want to see you do it again." I sighed defeated and placed my right middle and index fingers on my deck, ready to draw again.

_Now Yusei has to save himself again, this time from the clutches of Akiza's rose garden. Is there another motive as to why she's doing this? Plus, should I add in a few non-real cards to the game play to make it interesting? Yes or no?_


	9. Chapter 9

_Now that Yusei knows Strawberry Rose is actually Akiza, he has to duel her again. Will he survive this time around?_

"It's my turn then," I said as I drew. Things were not going my way. I had no monsters in play, compared to Akiza's three. Plus, I had dropped 400 points already. Against any other duelist, that wouldn't be a problem. Against Akiza, that was something different. She's fast enough to capitalize on any momentary weakness of whoever she's fighting. I learned that the hard way in the Fortune Cup. "I call up Speed Warrior in attack position," I said as my warrior joined the fray. Then I pointed directly at Lord Poison. "Speed Warrior," I declared, "destroy Lord Poison! Plus his attack points are doubled for this turn only." Once my monster's points went up to 1800, that walking plant nightmare went down with a roundhouse kick. The resulting destruction brought Akiza's score to 3700. "When Lord Poison is taken out in battle," she said in the same calm tone, "I can bring back another plant-type monster, like my first Evil Thorn." Just like that, the first thorn that hurt me before was back in play, along with the other two it spawned. I breathed outwards after that. "I've got nothing else," I said to end my turn.

"Looks like you can fight back," Akiza said to irritate me as she got her next card. She decided to take a brief pause in order to pick a rose from a nearby bush. "You know Yusei," she said as she smelled the rose, "you and I aren't so very different." How was that possible? In what ways are we similar? "How so?" I asked her. Akiza put the rose in her rose while answering, "That's an issue for another day." So I wasn't going to get any answers. "I think I'll put in Witch of the Black Rose," she said as some kind of witch emerged onto the field. That was a Tuner she just summoned. "Not good," I commented. "Right you are my dear Yusei," Akiza relayed, "watch as I tune my witch with my three thorns!" The flytraps turned into stars as the witch became four green rings. A gust of rose petals erupted behind Akiza as a familiar beast formed in the background. "Say hello once again to Black Rose Dragon!" she bellowed as her signature monster stood behind her, ready to attack. I shuddered at how much I'd be covered by rose vines after the attack. "OK my pet," Akiza commanded it, "take down his Speed Warrior!" The dragon shot out a pink blast from its maw, took out my monster, and hit me for 1500 points of damage, all in one fell swoop. The rose vines began to climb my legs and slowly wrapped around my stomach. "I'll end with a facedown card," she said to complete her turn.

It was becoming difficult for me to breathe as the vines slowly tightened around my chest. Each time I exhaled, the pricks on the vines slowly punctured my skin. "My move," I croaked as my hand count increased to five. My eyes shifted to see what I drew, and now I could start swinging things in my favor. "I call out Junk Synchron!" I yelled as my favorite Tuner came out. It looked very tiny compared to Akiza's dragon. "Plus, since I brought out Junk Synchron," I explained to her, "I can bring back Speed Warrior in defense mode." My fallen creature re-emerged in a submissive stance. "Now I'll play my Double Summon spell," I continued, "which lets me summon another monster this round." I looked at the three cards still in my hand and chose the only suitable candidate. "I'll try Tuningware," I wheezed as the vines continued to suffocate me. I picked out another card to play. "Since I normal summoned, _twice_, this turn, I can summon Turbo Booster," I declared as Rally's card came into play. Akiza began to laugh, as if I missed a joke or something funny. "You have a number advantage, but I have the size advantage," she pointed out to me. "They may be four separate monsters," I said as the group jumped into the sky, "but they combine to create one. By the way, Tuningware's effect increases its level to two." A row of five stars filed through three green rings to create my best monster. "I Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon!" I hollered as a periwinkle blue flew through the sky. Once it perched behind me, Akiza commented, "Just like twice before. Can you do it a third time?" As I drew a card due to Tuningware's effect, I rebuked, "I hope so." It appeared I drew an equip card. "I equip Stardust with Fighting Spirit," I explained as my dragon glowed for a brief second. Its attack points increased to 2800. "Go Stardust! Attack Black Rose Dragon!" I commanded as my dragon shot out a star filled blast. "I use my Dragon's Will trap card," Akiza calmly said as her monster withstood my assault. While she watched her score decrease to 3300, I asked, "What does trap do?" Akiza took the time to dust herself off before answering, "Simple. I can allow one dragon on my field to live through one attack during the battle phase." I put one of my remaining two cards face down on the field without saying anything.

"Gone silent?" she asked as her hand count went up to three. Akiza began to trace her fingers across the v-neck part of her dress to tantalize me. "Like what you see Yusei?" she said in a seductive voice. The two fingers dipped inside her visible cleavage to further tense me. I felt my muscles tighten as Akiza tried to distract me. "You could see a lot more if you win," she said with a wink. Now she was messing with my head. Akiza wasn't that kind of woman; was she? There was still a lot I had yet to find out about her. "Why are you telling me these things?" I pondered. She looked down at the ground, then back at me with an innocent look in her eyes. "If you really want to know," Akiza admitted, "I've admired your skills as a duelist and fell for you when I saw your determination to keep your loved ones safe, which included me." Now it was a more somber tone in this garden. "I never knew what it was like to be wanted in my life," she told me, "my parents sent me away to see if my powers could be controlled, and Sayer used me as part of his psychic army." I could actually hear a few sniffles in between her dialogue. She was being completely open to me. That was new to me. If I continued the duel, maybe she'll reveal her deeper feelings about her past.

_Things have taken a dramatic turn. Can Yusei manage to survive the vines trying to squeeze the life out of him? Will Akiza's tactics cause him to lose the duel? The next part will be delayed for two days. I apologize for the inconvenience. I ask you all to continue adding your input._


	10. Chapter 10

_The wait is over. I had to put this off because of senior awards night at school. Was I able to make Akiza into what the title is?_

I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She must have had some kind of hypnotic ability or something. I actually thought my heart would bust out of my chest. "Until you come to your senses," Akiza said to me, "I'll be using my dragon's ability to knock your head off." My eyes looked to see a monster being pulled out of her graveyard and then up at Stardust to see it was bound by vines. I gulped at the fact that Stardust was at Akiza's mercy. "Look out Yusei," she said in a teasing tone as Black Rose Dragon launched what would have been the deciding blow. "Not happening," I defied, "because I use Iron Resolve!" My facedown card flipped up and formed a protective barrier around my dragon and I. "By dropping half my life points," I explained as my score decreased to 1050, "I can hold off your monster's assault." Akiza slightly scoffed at my attempt to stay alive. "That's all for me then," she said to complete her turn.

I kept silent as I drew another card to give me two cards in my hand. Plus, Stardust's attack strength returned to 2800. This turn, I would have two chances to knock out Black Rose Dragon. Before that would happen, I had to ask her something.

"Akiza," I began, "earlier you said that we're not so different from each other. What do you mean by that?" A noticeable pause followed after my question. The only sound that could be heard was the low growl from Akiza's monster. Finally she said, "Well, neither one of us had an immediate family for a good portion of our lives. We know what it's like to be an outsider." It wasn't much of an answer, but it was viable. I never knew who my parents were, aside from being part of the creation of the first reactor. Akiza was continually pushed away from her parents as a child. As the Black Rose, she orchestrated destruction and mayhem to the people of New Domino. As a Satellite, I was already subjected to ridicule from the higher-ups in the city. Then something strange vibrated through me.

Somehow I had become immobilized against my will. It must have been another of Akiza's powers. She was doing all this to distract me from the duel. As I struggled to move my arms, which weren't bound by the living vines, Akiza began to walk across the clearing towards me. There was something about her walking motion that was….strangely attractive. Her hips gently swayed from left to right. She walked with one foot moving in front of the other, like she was a model on a catwalk. Eventually, Akiza made it to my side of the field.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked her, only to have her finger placed on my lips. "Shh…" she shushed at me. Akiza took hold of my right hand and slowly removed the glove on it. I wasn't exactly keen at she was doing. She moved my right hand, still unmovable by her will, and placed on top of the visible part of her breasts. Now Akiza was pushing it. Even though I couldn't move my hand, I could still feel what she was making me touch. Her breasts, at least from what I could see, felt smooth and firm to the touch. My heart rate began to race to insane speeds. My hand stayed where it was, in Akiza's grasp, for a good long minute. During that time, she stroked my hand as if it were her pet. When it was over, she returned the glove to my hand. I was at a complete loss for words. I never thought stuff like this would happen to me. The final straw came when Akiza licked her right index finger and traced around my lips. She winked at me, seductively, and returned to her side of the field. Now I was able to do move my body again.

I came out of my stupor fairly quick and reassessed what I had to do. I was about to attack Black Rose Dragon. "OK then," I declared, "I'll have Stardust attack Black Rose Dragon!" My dragon charged up its blast and fired it at the speed of sound. Akiza snapped her fingers, as if to activate the effect of her Dragon's Will trap. Black Rose Dragon withstood my attack, although Akiza lost 400 points, bringing her score to 2900. "Got to try better than that," she taunted. I pulled a card from my hand and said, "Don't worry. I will." I zipped a quick-play spell onto the field and said, "I activate Synchro Retribution. This can be played when a Synchro monster on my field deals out damage in battle. Now I can play a trap card from my hand." It was the last card I was holding, and it was all I needed. It was also fitting that I played the same trap from our last duel. "Remember this, Akiza?" I asked her as my card was played. Stardust began to glow. "It's Synchro Ring, and just like before, I'm able to attack a second time, only with twice the attack strength," I explained. Now I would deal the deciding blow. Stardust launched another attack at Black Rose Dragon and ultimately demolished it. Akiza's score dropped to zero in an instant. The vines that were squeezing the life out of me now released me from their hold. It looked like I didn't suffer any internal injuries, because the last thing I needed was another hospital stay. The sound of clapping reached my ears after whatever cards left on the field faded into oblivion.

It was Akiza responsible for the clapping. "Bravo Yusei," she congratulated me, "you fought well, especially given the…circumstances around you." She was right. I could have easily folded because her enticing tactics on me. I licked my lips to clean off what Akiza left behind earlier. It had a….fruity taste to it, which was appropriate, since it was a fruit that kept me at bay through the challenge. "Do you like what you just tasted?" Akiza asked in that seductive tone, "then allow me to give you a full course."

I could myself being frozen again, and I didn't try to resist it this time. Akiza strutted back to me and held my chin with one hand. Her gaze kept me fixated on her face. Before I knew it, I could feel her lips on mine, licking them in the process. Another power of hers must have kicked in, as I slowly lost my grip on reality. My eyes slowly closed and I went out like a light in a snap.

_Yusei prevailed in his duel, despite Akiza's attempts to seduce him. Now he's fallen unconscious from her kiss. Is this all part of her scheme? Stay tuned for the next part. _


	11. Chapter 11

_What does Yusei do now? Akiza kissed him and he went out like a light. Is it part of her grand scheme?_

I could feel myself slowly slipping away from reality. I could see Akiza smirking at me maliciously as my vision got worse. There was even a chuckle to go along with it. What was happening?

I have no idea how long I was out, but when I woke up, I was back at the same hospital where I was treated after my crash. This time, however, there weren't any IVs or tubes or other medical nonsense attached to me. All that was attached to me were a few electrodes on my chest, nothing too serious. "Was all that a dream?" I asked myself. The only sounds I could hear were the hustle and bustle in the hallway. The blinds were drawn, so I could only see shadows go by. "Guess it was," I answered as I laid my head on my pillow. Before I closed my eyes to go to sleep, someone said, "It wasn't a dream, Yusei." I shot up and looked around the room to see who it was. All I could see was darkness.

"Who's there?" I yelled. A long silence followed immediately. "Use your indoor voice," the voice instructed me. I recognized the voice after I figured out only person spoke in such a tone. "OK then, Akiza. I will," I submitted. Right then, a shapely figure walked alongside my bed. It was her, still in that enticing magenta gown. "What are you doing here?" I asked her. Akiza placed her left hand on top of my right. "I wanted to keep you company during your stay," she purred. There was something in her last statement and the way she said it that made me feel...uneasy. I kind of liked it. A ring shattered the air around us. It came from my jacket, hanging on a coat rack.

Akiza waved her fingers and made my phone float out and into my hand. This girl had more powers than I gave her credit for. "You should answer it," she told me. Feeling…guilty of all things, I pressed the "talk" button and said, "Hello?" A voice answered back, "Are you alright Yusei?" It was Luna. I looked back at Akiza, who was just standing there. "Um…I'm OK Luna," I relayed to the female twin, "I'm back in the hospital for….I don't know why." A few seconds passed before I got a response. "Well, as long as you're OK, that matters the most," the small girl said, "and we'll swing by tomorrow, if that's OK with you." That seemed to warm my heart. I can't really bear to be away from the twins for even a day. "I'll be waiting," I said as I clicked the phone to turn off. My eyes shifted back to Akiza, who was leaning against the closest wall with her arms folded across her chest.

She waved her fingers again and the phone mystically returned to the pocket it was in. If she could make things levitate, what else could Akiza do? Somehow, I had this feeling I would find out before I could be released. "Those twins really look up to you, don't they?" Akiza asked me. I nodded yes to answer her question. "They were the first friendly faces I met in New Domino," I added on. Our eyes met and for a while, we just looked at each other.

I thought I could feel Akiza's gaze burrowing into my mind. It didn't really hurt or anything. It actually felt…good. That's when I noticed something wrong.

I tried to move my arms and legs but only struggled. Even my fingers were completely useless. Akiza then began to chuckle lightly. It was playing out like our duel. "How do you feel?" Akiza pondered to me. I looked up and down my body and answered, "Helpless." Akiza rubbed her hands together and retorted, "Beautiful."

She walked up even closer to my bedside, up to the edge, and sat on my bedside. I asked, "What are you…" Akiza put on her finger on my lips again. "Don't talk," she said to me. Akiza grabbed my right hand and placed it on top of her breasts. "Do you like?" she asked. I could only nod, weakly, yes. She moved my hand inside her gown, and I felt something smooth and velvet. It was her bra. "How about now?" she purred in my ear. Again, I nodded yes. Akiza removed my motionless hand from her gown and waved her fingers to make something else float in the air. A small click was followed by her bra floating out of her attire. I gulped as it was flung in my face. Of all the colors it could've been, it was the same magenta as her gown. It even had the same strawberry scent from the challenge. Then it was taken to an extreme level.

Akiza submerged my hand back into her gown, and I felt something smooth grace through my palm. I could feel the sweat drip down my face at the sheer thought of feeling Akiza's….breasts. I really have difficulty saying that word. "Do you like what you're feeling now?" she asked with a wink. Another weak nod yes was my answer.

My hand was removed and placed back on the bed. I could feel a tingling sensation emanating from it. It surged through me and put me in a state of euphoria. "I feel weightless," I commented on my situation. Akiza cocked her head slightly at my remark. "Let's see if we can't bring you down to Earth," she said. Her heels were kicked off, and she climbed on the bed and on top of me.

Now my heart was racing at the speed of light. I could not believe this was actually happening. Akiza's body practically hugged every inch of my body. I still couldn't move my arms and legs. Her elbows were at the base of my neck, and her arms and hands were atop my head, petting it like an animal. My skin literally tightened at her touch.

"Your hair is incredibly soft for someone from the Satellite," Akiza complimented me. She even went so far as smelling it. "It smells good as well," she added on. Our faces were mere centimeters apart. I could feel her exhales on me. It was great. "Um, Akiza," I stammered, "why are you doing this?" She shook her head at my question. "No worries Yusei," she assured me, "I will not harm you. Now if you'd be so kind as to fall asleep." Her request sounded ridiculous, but when she kissed me again, my grip on reality slowly slipped away.

_I got to say something. I really envy Yusei for the situation he was in. How often does that happen? Yusei is a LUCKY guy. Anyways, stay tuned for the next part._


	12. Chapter 12

_Yusei has to be the luckiest guy ever. He's got some woman with otherworldly beauty tempting him. The only catch is that he can't respond to Akiza's advances. Still, very lucky._

She did it again. She kissed me a second time and I fell unconscious. It's not like I don't have any choice in the matter. Akiza makes it so I can't fight back. Actually, scratch that. "Fight back" is not the right phrase in this situation. I would rather say "bend to her will."

When I woke up, it was the next day. Akiza had vanished without reason or explanation. The chatter of doctors and nurses were flowing in the hall like normal. My body even felt as if no one was on top of me. The strawberry scent that blanketed her was gone as well. All I could small was disinfectant and plastic. Things were getting stranger, and I had absolutely no control over it.

Then I heard the doorknob twist and turn. When it opened, in came Leo, who fell flat on his face, and Luna, helping him off the ground. "Hey guys," I greeted in a weak voice. "You look no worse for the wear," Leo said while dusting himself off. The boy had a point. The twins were seeing me with electrodes plastered to my chest. The first time, they saw me tubes, needles, and other medical whatnot attached to my skin. "How do you feel Yusei?" Luna asked while taking a seat next to my bed. While rubbing my head with my left hand, I sighed, "Confused." The twins looked at each other, then back at me. "Um…why do you feel confused?" the female twin asked me. I continued to rub my head, trying to soothe my headache. "I've fallen unconscious, twice," I told the two, "and I don't know why I'm here." The twins nodded to say that they understood what I was saying. I took a second to look at my hands, like if they were covered in something.

"Um, Yusei, did you ever find out who Strawberry Rose was?" the boy finally spoke. I couldn't tell them that it was Akiza who sent me around the city solving riddles, at least not now. I didn't want to lie to them, but I would have to until the time was right. "Not yet," I responded, "but I'm guessing when I went to look for her, something occurred that brought me here." Why did I have to say that? I hated to leave the two in the dark on the truth. They stayed for a few minutes more until they decided to leave. After that, the only thing I could do was sleep.

My slumber was rudely interrupted by a loud knocking on the door. While I tried to open my eyes, Jack Atlas bull-rushed his way in. "Can't you knock any quieter?" I said to break the ice. He looked at me with that classic icy stare of his. "Can it Yusei," Jack shot at me, "I'm here to find out why you've been in the hospital twice." I looked away from him and said, "I don't think you're the best person to hear what I have to say." Jack snorted like a bull and walked closer to me. He pulled me up by my shoulder and punched me in the face back down. "What was that for?" I asked while checking my face for blood. "I know exactly why you're here," Jack responded. I opened my mouth to speak, but Jack put his hand in front of my face in order to say "don't bother." He brought his hand back to his side and stated, "Akiza's the reason you're here." How did he know that? "I was at the cabana you found her in a few days back," Jack went on, "and I overheard the conversation between you two. She left and you followed her outside. I decided to tail you two, and I saw you win against her a third time. If I'm not mistaken, she even tried to 'distract' you during the match. Akiza kissed you, you fell unconscious, and here you are." Jack had everything correct.

I couldn't hide anything from him. "What do I do?" I asked in desperation. Jack shook his head at me and scoffed, "One thing: resist. Don't let her knock you out every time." He punched me again, this time in the stomach, hard enough to put me out. "Try as you will," Jack's voice echoed in my ears, "and you'll be at her mercy, unless you take command."

When I came to for the second time today, I felt something under my nose. I rubbed at it to get rid of it, only to find out it was blood. I guess Jack's punches had some kind of delayed effect. I even found out, the hard way, that Jack also left me a shiner. Now my face was washed in pain. I fell out of reality again from the pain I endured.

The third time was the charm for me. I woke up and stayed that way since the pain had faded away. It was late at night and the hospital became so quiet, one footstep could have been heard on all levels. "What's happening to me?" I asked no one in particular. I expected no one would answer back. Then I heard _her_ voice answer, "Many a great thing, my Yusei." Akiza emerged from the shadows around me and strolled up to my bedside. She was adorned in a tight and strapless black dress. I panted slightly at the sight I was seeing.

"What happened to your face?" she asked in a worried voice. It was the kind of voice that anyone couldn't lie to. "Um…" I stuttered, "Jack decked me." Akiza made a tissue appear out of nowhere in her hand and wiped my face clean of the blood. When my face was clear of the blood, she delicately kissed my right temple. Now my bruised eye felt like new. "Um….thanks Akiza," I stammered. She placed her hand on top of mine and responded, "No problem, precious." It was that last word that made me blush slightly. I liked it.

I could feel a chill brush over my exposed flesh, which Akiza was partly focused on. "Chilly?" she pondered to me. All I could do was say, "Yes'm." That was all the answer Akiza needed. She got on my bed and stood on her hands and knees. She slowly lowered her body directly over mine. It was just like before: her body hugged every part of mine. I felt the same euphoric sensation surge through me. Akiza even added a twist; she partially unzipped her dress, just enough so she could pull it down to just above her stomach. Now her completely _exposed_ upper body was rubbing against mine. I was in heaven. "How do you feel?" she purred questioningly. I had no definite answer for her. My best attempt was a doped laugh. "You're unpredictable," she whispered in an enticing tone. Her lips scrunched together and connected themselves to mine. For a few seconds, I was able to resist going unconscious. In that time, I tried to prolong the kiss as best I could. In the end, I still fell unconscious. Before my eyes shut completely, I heard her say, "I love you…."

_I still envy Yusei. Now Akiza can heal him as well. How else can things get any better for him? What do you all think?_


	13. Chapter 13

_I have heard your cries of frustration concerning Yusei. They'll have to continue. I, too, wish I could be Yusei. What will Akiza have in store for him next?_

Why does this keep happening? Every time Akiza shows up, no one else is around. She toys with me, kisses me, and I go unconscious. It has the makings of a dream, only it isn't a dream. This is all real, right? Plus, I thought I heard Akiza say, "I love you…" before I fell out of reality.

When I woke up again, Akiza had disappeared just like before. There was no trace of evidence on or around me that she had visited. I knew I was in a hospital, but I didn't know what kind. I felt sort of drowsy, even though I had returned to reality. I turned my head slightly to look at the table next to my bed. All I saw was a bottle partially full of….some liquid and a syringe. I tried to move my arm to reach it but it wouldn't budge. I looked down my body to see the electrodes were gone, but they were replaced with tight-fitting straps. Only one kind of hospital can use stuff like this to hold down patients.

Somehow, I was now in a mental institution. My breathing pace began to increase as I started to panic. This was all a mistake. I shouldn't be here. Only crazy people belong in a place like this. "HELP!" I yelled out, hoping someone would hear. I tried to move my arms, hoping the straps would break. They didn't. The door popped open, and Luna trotted in up to me.

"Good morning Yusei," she greeted me. "Luna," I wheezed, "what's going on? Why am I here?" I continued to struggle under the straps, until the small girl put her hand on my wrist. "It's OK," she said, "you're not crazy or mentally ill or anything else." My struggling instantly ceased and my eyes shifted back to Luna. "Then…..why am I here?" I asked, still confused. "Your stay is just a precaution," she explained as she picked the bottle up, "the doctors injected you with this stuff to clean your inner body away of any impurities from your crash." I looked back at my strapped body, still puzzled at her explanation. "Then….why am I strapped down?" I asked her. "This solution has been known to cause hallucinations to whomever it's injected into," Luna went on, "and you were transferred here to be monitored in case you had hallucinations." It was slowly coming together. Maybe my visions of Akiza during the night were all fakes. "How long have I been here?" I pondered. "You came here after Jack beat the tar out of you," Luna responded. Perhaps I was injected after I fell unconscious from all those punches.

I was checked out of the institution, and Luna guided me back home, in case my memory hadn't repaired itself fully. When we returned to the Tops, Leo dashed right for me and knocked me onto the ground. "How do you feel Yusei?" the boy asked as I got back up. "I'm on the mend," I groaned. I treaded my way upstairs to where my bed was, and I embraced the fact that no one would bother me as I slept off the remainder of the solution. At least, that's what I thought.

I made my way inside my room, which had been left untouched, and closed the door without looking. I took one step before two knocks protruded their way in. "Yusei," Luna's voice rang, "Leo and I are heading out for a while. Use this time to get some rest, OK?" I breathed a sigh of relief and answered, "OK." Her footsteps got quieter as she went downstairs. Feeling bushed, I fell backwards onto my bed and drifted into a deep sleep.

I lost track of time while I was asleep. My grumbling stomach jarred me from my slumber, telling me I should get something to eat. I rolled out onto the floor, into the hallway, down the stairs, and towards the kitchen. It was there that I was welcomed with a most peculiar but intoxicating sight.

Akiza was at the table, nibbling on some strawberries with whipped cream. She was in a black or very dark blue tube top and low cut shorts. She also had my jacket on as well. "Hello there," Akiza greeted in her seductive voice. As she licked her lips clean of the whipped cream, I asked, "How'd you know I'd be here? And how'd you get inside?" She dipped another strawberry in the whipped cream and answered, "Those are for me to know and you to find out." So it looks like I wasn't going to get any answers. Akiza licked the strawberry in her hand and said, "Come and join me. You're probably hungry." My stomach growled to answer her statement. She chuckled lightly and added, "The stomach never lies." I took a spot next to her and reached for a strawberry. Akiza stopped me and said, "Allow me." She grabbed the fruit I was going for and held it in front of my face. My eyes followed as it made circles near my face. The strawberry was placed on my bottom lip, and Akiza traced it around my mouth before she put it inside. "A strawberry's not complete without whipped cream," she added as her left index finger was dipped in the whipped cream. My eyes followed her finger as it wavered in front of me before it went in my mouth and came out with a thin layer of saliva. While I tasted the whipped cream Akiza gave me, she went over the top and licked the same finger she dipped in and let me lick clean. It didn't seem disgusting or strange to me. Matter of fact, it didn't bother me at all.

The strawberries and whipped cream were returned to the refrigerator through Akiza's powers. She always amazed me every time she used her powers. "Let's go back to your room," she requested and purred at the same time. Akiza walked ever so delicately up the staircase, and I followed her without thinking. I walked into my room, still entranced, and Akiza shut the door and locked it as well. She moved her arms behind her back and leaned back to have my jacket fall off. Acting brash, Akiza pushed me onto my bed with one hand. Once I came to a standstill, she curled up next to me.

She and I looked at each other for a few seconds before I tried to speak. Akiza stopped me and said, "Just let me look at you." The two of us lied there in silence for a few minutes. Finally, she said, "Feeling tired yet?" Strange as it seems, I was getting there. A deep yawn sufficed as my answer. My eyelids began to feel heavy. As they got closer to shutting, Akiza scooted in closer to me and placed my hand on the exposed part of her back. "Rest easy, my Yusei," her voice echoed, "and I'll stay by you." My eyes closed completely after that.

_Akiza continues to entice Yusei. Will Yusei eventually get the answers he needs, or will he still be putty in her hands? I'll say this: I wish I was._


	14. Chapter 14

_The last chapter didn't rile you guys up like before. My intent for this one is to have you all vent your anger on the "treatment" Yusei's being given by Akiza._

Would I be classified as the luckiest or unluckiest guy to ever live? From one standpoint, I'm at Akiza's mercy, and she uses me like a doll, which I kind of like. However, I'm unable to respond to Akiza's advances because she makes it so I can't. Am I one or the other?

When I awoke from the "spell" she put me under, Akiza was still there, sleeping. The way she was curled up reminded me the way a cat sleeps: graceful and beautiful. I gently petted her hair so as to not disturb her slumber. Breathing through my nose proved to be somewhat…..difficult. One nostril would be completely clear, but the other was stuffed to the brim. A sneeze forced its way to the outside. I tried my best to hold it back but ultimately failed.

Akiza's eyes fluttered open upon hearing me sneeze. "Feeling sick?" she yawned. "Um…." I stammered, trying to come up with a lie. My attempt was thwarted when Akiza placed her hand on my forehand. "You've got…a mild fever," she diagnosed with a wink, "nothing a day in bed won't fix." She was right. The only problem was how I would let the twins know. "Um, Akiza…" I tried to say. "I've got it covered," she interrupted. Akiza reached inside her tank top and pulled out a "do not disturb" sign. She opened the door slightly and hung the sign on the outside knob.

Now I was completely alone with Akiza. The only thing bothering me was if I'd enjoy it or not. The plus side included the fact that one of the goddesses of New Domino was looking after me. The bad side included the possibility that she would attack me without notice. Right now, I just needed to get better.

A furious fit of coughing gripped my throat. "Sit tight," Akiza told me as she slipped into the hall. Her footsteps were almost lighter than air; they couldn't be heard at all. A few minutes passed before she came back with filled with cough syrup. There was also something different about Akiza. She had rolled up her tank top just enough to show off her bare stomach. Her movements were similar to that of an Arabian dancer. It was hard to look away. I was handed a small cup with some cough syrup. "Go on," she told me, "Drink it." I didn't feel that I needed to, but Akiza persuaded me to. She took the cup out of my hands and waved some magic around to make it impossible for me to use my arms. The cup was held up to my lips and tipped back. As the syrup slithered down my throat, I was being petted the same way I had petted Akiza earlier. A few drops of the syrup were left on my bottom lip. "I got this," she purred as she licked the drops off my lip very slowly.

Did that just happen? I wasn't sure if it did. My spine tingled while Akiza licked the syrup off of my lips. It was one of those feelings you don't forget. I had a thought that this would be coming back throughout the rest of the day. Akiza, feeling bored, grabbed one of the magazines from my desk and began to flip through it. Her head was resting up against my stomach. I didn't want to disturb her, so instead, I decided to doze off.

My nap only lasted…about two hours, I'd say. I looked down at Akiza, who had a magazine over her face, a sign she fell asleep reading. I can't begin to remember how many times that have happened to me. I reached behind my head and pulled out the pillow I slept on. I took my free hand gently lifted Akiza's head up. My chest slid out slowly from under her, and I put the pillow under her head. She didn't wake up even a little bit, which meant I was safe. I located a towel and slipped out, silently, into the hall and into the bathroom.

I tip-toed inside, in order to keep the twins in the dark on what I was up to, and closed the door ever so quietly. I turned the latch on the knob to lock it, and I turned to face the shower stall. I shed out of the wraps called my clothes and stepped into the stall. I turned on the water and a rush of cold water washed down on me. I adjusted the heat level and cold rush became hot enough to produce steam. I leaned in towards the spigot and let the hot water pour on my face.

I was continuing to scrub for five minutes when I heard the doorknob turn. I knew for a fact that I locked the door. Maybe it could be unlocked from the outside. I turned my head to see who was walking inside. A tall and rather slender figure entered and closed the door, also locking as well. "Yusei, are you in here?" a familiar voice asked. It was Akiza's. How in the world did she unlock the door from the outside? For that matter, how did she know I'd be in here? "Y—Yeah, I'm here," I stuttered back to her. A combination of the steam and the design of the shower panels made it difficult for me to see Akiza's distinct features. "Can I…join you?" she asked out of the blue. I gulped upon hearing her question. I didn't know if it was right to have her impose. Even so, I squeaked, "Yes?" It got quiet for a few seconds in there, aside from the running water. "Goodie," Akiza answered back as I saw what I was sure were her clothes drop to the floor.

I looked away as she stepped through the stall door. My eyes still stayed closed as Akiza said, "Don't worry, Yusei. I won't bite. You can look." I shook my head vigorously at her. "I don't know if I should," I relayed. Her next move was another over the top; Akiza took one of my hands and placed directly over something that felt like a balloon, only with skin on it. My head cranked to see what she had done. I saw that my left hand was being held against one of her…..breasts. I also saw that Akiza's hair was plastered to her head, a stark contrast to when it was dry. "Do you like what you see?" she purred questioningly. "Uh-huh," I answered like a dope. She snickered at how my answer came out. "Then you're going to like what you're going to feel next," she added. My hand was released from her grip. Akiza got behind me, close enough that I could feel her bare chest on my back, and swarmed her hands all over my chest. Her hands literally went everywhere. "I like how your chest is toned," Akiza complimented me. I found it curious she said stuff like this, and I didn't know how to respond. "Thanks…I think," I answered back. Her hands made their way up to my wet hair and began to massage my scalp. "Now then," Akiza purred again, "let your mind wander free. Let your grip of reality fall away." My eyelids felt heavy again. I tried to resist her hypnosis…thing but I couldn't. My head dropped forward and I fell asleep.

_I continue to draw the line when I say that Yusei has everything going for him. It's totally unfair. What say all of you? _


	15. Chapter 15

_I haven't really advanced the plot in recent parts. While I do want to see you all foam at the mouth because of Yusei and Akiza, I got to move the story. I hope this part will suffice._

This was getting ridiculous. Being Akiza's…"doll" had its advantages, but it wasn't getting me anywhere. I knew had to say something. It had to come immediately.

When I came to, I was completely dry and back in my room. My clothes were back on and my hair reverted to its signature style. I felt like new. A gentle breathing came up from my side. I looked down to see Akiza sleeping with one of her arms around my waist. I had to wake her but not too roughly.

"Akiza," I whispered, "wake up." I shook her arm gently to coax her out of her slumber. Her eyes opened in slow motion, the kind seen in movies. She looked up at me and said, "Do you need me?" I let out a short exhale at her question. "Well…" I began to say, "What would you say to going outside for a bit?" Akiza tapped her chin with her finger for a few seconds. "OK," she finally answered. With a snap of her fingers, she and I faded into oblivion.

We resurfaced in an alley that was out of the way in the city. Akiza was now adorned in the same attire from our battles in the Fortune Cup and with the Dark Signers. "Did that just happen?" I questioned her, still stunned at her actions. "It did," Akiza quipped, "now then, shall we go on?" We found our way out of the alley and into the city streets.

"Is there any other reason to sending me through that gauntlet of riddles?" I asked her. Akiza remained silent to think of a response. "Kind of," she told me, "will that work?" I nodded yes to her. At this point, I needed to know everything about her. "The challenge thing was kind of a whim," she relayed, "I contemplated on whether you'd do it or not. The fact that you found me confirms what I'd hoped." Just a whim, was it? She was probably thinking of something to do and this challenge was it. Even so, I always take on whatever comes my way. We continued to navigate the city, moving through small crowds of people.

"What about you toying with me in the hospital and at the Tops?" I asked, "What of that?" Again, she went quiet to compose an answer. It took a little longer this time. "Honestly," Akiza stated, "I wanted to show what I'm willing to do for you." A pause followed before she started again. "Do you remember me saying that I love you?" she pondered to me. I nodded a definite yes to her. I don't forget things like that. "I meant that," Akiza said to me with a hint of sob in her voice, "I honestly and deeply love you, Yusei. When your crash occurred, I was really worried about you. Of course, I couldn't show that when I visited you in your dream." A few tears trickled down her cheek. I took one of my fingers and gently brushed them off. "That's another thing I love about you," she went on, "You have an intense focus, yet at the same time, you'll do anything for your loved ones."

I was taken aback at her confession. Akiza really pined for me. Another question was: how far did this go back? "Akiza," I asked, "when did your feelings for me begin to take shape?" She looked at the ground before looking back at me. "I realized it when you managed to reunite my parents and me," she said, "I knew it right there that someone had my best interest in mind." She pointed at me. "You did," she added, "you showed me that there are people out there who only want what's best for me." Akiza wrapped her arms around me and leaned her head on my chest. I answered back by holding her close to me.

"I'm touched by your words Akiza," I said, "I really am." She looked up at me, where our eyes locked onto each other. "If you want me to be a part of your life, I'll gladly do so, only if you'll be a part of mine," I continued. She placed her hand on my cheek and cheerfully answered, "Done." Our faces slowly inched towards each other until after what seemed like an eternity, our lips locked together to form a metaphorical bow of our love for each other.

When we broke apart to catch our breath, we leaned our heads on the other person. "Amazing," she whispered to me. "Yeah," I agreed with her, "it sure was." We began walking again, and as we did, her hand and mine found their way into the other. The two of us stayed silent as we just walked throughout New Domino to nowhere in particular.

Eventually, we decided to return to the Tops, where the twins were. I had to let them know what had just transpired. We got to the front door, and I motioned for Akiza to stay out of sight until I brought up her name. I turned the knob and the door opened without trouble. Luna was the first to come up to me. She looked relieved. "Where were you?" she asked obviously. Leo trotted up after the question came out. "Well," I sighed, "I was out looking for various answers." The twins leaned in closer and asked at the same time, "Well, what are the answers?" I gave Akiza a thumbs-up with my hand that was out of sight. "They're all right here," I announced as Akiza walked into view. Leo first asked, "It was you? How come we didn't find out before?" While all four of us got further inside and the door closed, Akiza repeated, "Just like I told Yusei before, the strawberry scent that popped up throughout the challenge was designed to block your memories of me. If you knew it was me right off the bat, the challenge would've been useless." Luna followed with, "Why did you want Yusei to do all this?" Akiza shook her head before stating, "I wanted to see what he was made of." She kissed my cheek before adding, "He's made up of a lot of things." The subtle hints got to the small girl first; the boy was still in the dark on what was going on. "Akiza, if you kissed Yusei," Luna asked, "than that means…" Our hands linked together to answer her question.

_I know the ending of this part, at least, is kind of weak. Is it? Anyhow, I feel that I need to wrap this up soon. I've got finals next week and graduation after that. Should it be one or two more parts? What should Yusei and Akiza do? Just don't expect the next (or last) part for two days. Like Alton Brown says, "Your patience will be rewarded."_


	16. Chapter 16

_The end is near, not necessarily this part. When the end comes, it will go out, hopefully, with a bang._

With everything out in the open, things reverted to their original state. At least that's what I kept seeing. Leo and Luna went about what they did on a regular basis. Akiza decided to stick around after she devoted herself to me. I will say this: being with a woman as attractive as Akiza is was the stuff of legend in the Satellite. Even now, it would be extremely rare if a high-society woman fell for a guy from the Satellite. I wouldn't say that I'm lucky to have found Akiza but fortunate instead.

It was the morning after Akiza and I became a pair, so to speak. I dragged myself out of my sound slumber to see that it was half past seven. It wasn't uncommon for me to get up that earlier. I also found out that Akiza had gotten up before me. Most likely, she was already downstairs. Feeling empty inside, I rolled out to see where she was.

I silently shuffled through the hall to avoid waking the twins. They were not early risers. As I descended the staircase, the smell of syrup and fruit invaded my nose. I poked my head around the corner to see Akiza rummaging through the refrigerator. "What's……going on in here?" I greeted here. She jumped a little when my voice reached here. "Don't do that Yusei," Akiza pouted. I could see she was wrapped in a _thin_ strawberry red robe and I emphasize "thin." She departed from the fridge and ushered me back upstairs. "Go back to your room," she commanded me, "and I'll come to you with something to eat and….something more." Akiza winked at me before I obeyed her words.

Fifteen minutes dripped by before she came back to me. "Hungry?" Akiza asked as she came up to me with a bowl and saucer in hand. The bowl had assorted chunks of fruit in it, mostly strawberries. The saucer contained a considerable amount of maple syrup in it. I said nothing as I picked up one piece of fruit at a time and dipped it in the syrup. Akiza laid next to me, put her head on my left shoulder, and whispered, "Don't use all the syrup. I'm gonna need it." I kept that in mind as I devoured all the fruit Akiza brought to me.

"My, you must have been hungry," she said with a slight southern accent. She was right; there was something about dipping fruit in syrup that was delicious. Akiza reached up to the window behind us and drew the blinds shut. "Um, Akiza, what are you…" I tried to say before being silenced. "Quiet now," she said back in her normal voice. She stood up on her knees in front of me and slowly pulled her robe off. Akiza revealed that she had a rose-red two piece bikini under the robe. I could feel my heart begin to beat faster. Her stunning figure was only accentuated by the shade of red she wore. Akiza lied next to me and dripped the leftover syrup all over her upper body. "Come and clean me up," she purred. I lowered my head next to her stomach and followed the syrupy trail with my tongue. "That tickles," Akiza giggled as I licked the syrup off of her. Once I was done, she dangled the saucer in front of my face. "There's still a little left," Akiza informed me, "and I know where you should lick it from." With one hand, she untied her bikini top. As it fell onto my bed, I was in awe at the majesty before me. Akiza emptied the saucer onto her breasts and said seductively, "Finish the job." I had no choice but to obey, and I slowly cleaned her up. "You're the best," she praised me as she kissed my cheek.

That was unreal. How often does a guy like me get to do that to a woman like Akiza? I could only imagine what else she had in store for me. The mere thought of it was intoxicating on its own.

Later on, Akiza came to me and said, "I'll be heading out for a bit. I've got an idea on something you and I can do late tonight." That sounded intriguing the way she said it. "I trust you," I assured her. She wrapped her arms around me knowing I could trust her. "Thanks Yusei," she responded back, "and I can show how thankful I am right now. I just need your Stardust Dragon." It was a strange request, but Akiza was someone who valued her deck as much as I did. I pulled the card out of my beck box and handed it to her. Akiza held the card in her hands and shook them a bit. A small glow formed in her hands and receded into the card. "There you go," she said while handing it back to me. "What did you do?" I asked. She pointed at the card in my hand and responded, "I sealed a little bit of my magical influence into it. Now whenever you use it, it will actually be real, just like my monsters." Before she made it out the front door, I called out to her, "Thanks."

While Akiza was gone, I stared at the dragon card in my hand. I didn't have any problem with a little of her power as part of my deck. It was quite the opposite. Whenever I dueled, there would always be the possibility she would help me win.

"Is anybody home in there?" I heard a voice say to me. I looked to say that Luna had brought me back to reality. "Sorry," I told her, "I was…deep in thought." The female twin's eyes trailed to the card in my hand. "Why are you staring at your Stardust Dragon?" Luna pondered. "Akiza made it so that her power is in the card," I summed up, "now she can help me in my duels." The small girl nodded and left me to be alone. All I could do was wait until Akiza got back.

_One more part to go and that will be it. I still find it hard to believe this has had a lot of flare in it. I thank you all for making that possible. Just stay tuned for the finale._


	17. Chapter 17

_Well, this is the final part. All I can say is: I hope it bodes well for you all._

Her power is in my deck now. Who would've thought? I still didn't think it was possible.

I was still staring at Stardust Dragon even after Luna left. "You're a wily one Akiza," I whispered to myself. "Who's a wily one?" I heard a playful voice ask me as my eyes were covered by a familiar set of hands. "I know it's you," I told whoever was behind me, "who else do I know has smooth, delicate, and slender hands?" Akiza's hands ran through my hair and down to my shoulders. Her head came to rest on my left shoulder. For a few seconds, I felt something wet curl around my ear. It was her tongue. "Have you waited patiently while I was gone?" Akiza pondered to me. I nodded yes to her and she gently pecked my temple. "I knew you would," she purred. She then lifted a large white shopping bag onto the table I was sitting at. "What's in the bag?" I asked her. "You'll find out later tonight," Akiza answered while twirling her finger on my cheek. She snatched the bag off of the table and skipped upstairs. Before she disappeared from my sight, she said, "Don't come in to your room until I say so." After that, she vanished into the upper level.

An hour and a half passed after Akiza went up and locked herself inside my room. I was flipping through television channels in the living room to see what was on. So far, I had little luck. Eventually, I came across a documentary that chronicled some of the most beautiful women in history. "This looks good," I commented as I decided to watch it. As I viewed this thing, I thought to myself, "I think Akiza should be on that list." Maybe in the future, she would be. I'd make sure of it.

When the documentary came to an end, I got bored and fell asleep. This time, I dozed off under my own power. No Akiza influence here. The only question that continued to run through my mind was: what was Akiza up to?

My extended nap took me all the way to nine at night. I felt a gentle shaking on my shoulder, urging me to wake up. It was Luna who shook me out of my slumber. I yawned, "You rang?" while I stretched my arms out. The small girl giggled at my choice of words. She responded, "Yes I did. Akiza has requested your presence promptly." I heard Luna say that in a slight British accent. "You're funny," I told her as I went up the staircase.

I reached my bedroom door and knocked a few times to get Akiza's attention. "You may enter Yusei," I heard her say with a seductive voice. I pushed the door open to see a most pleasing sight. The blinds were closed and the room was lit only by candles which were placed all around the room. The floor was covered with rose petals. There was saxophone music playing softly in the background. The only thing missing was Akiza. I assumed she was hiding somewhere. The door closed behind me and a blindfold was put over my eyes. "OK, what's going on?" I asked whoever put the blindfold on me. "You'll see," I heard Akiza say to me, "just stand there and wait." I did as I was told and waited while sounds of stepping and rustling mixed with the background music. "Still waiting…" I said while tapping my foot. I got no verbal response; instead I felt my jacket being pulled off and my boots taken off as well. "You can take it off now," Akiza said in a singsong tone. I pulled the blindfold off to see Akiza standing before me with her arms forming a "v." She was wearing a different dress than the one she wore when I found her the first time. This dress was an elegant shade of blue with star-like twinkles in it. "Care to dance?" she pondered to me. I took her up on her offer and off we danced.

The saxophone melody played for minutes on end as Akiza and I danced in each other's hands and arms. "You dance amazingly well," she complimented me. "Well, I took lessons while in the Satellite," I answered slightly bashful. Akiza laid her head below my chin as we continued dancing. She looked…peaceful this way.

Eventually, we tired of dancing and Akiza looked up at me. "Why don't you sit down and I'll….slip into something else?" she purred questioningly. "OK," I answered short and sweet. Our lips connected for a brief instant and Akiza backed into my closet. I barely heard a zipping sound behind the door. Obviously, she was changing into something else. Then the doorknob began to turn. I waited in anticipation as the door slowly creaked open.

First I saw a leg come out, followed by an arm. Then Akiza's full figure came into view. This time, she was dressed like an Arabian belly dancer. As if on cue, the music switched to a Persian style. With every beat, Akiza swayed her hips to match the rhythm. It was hard to look away from her. My eyes followed her every movement. It was like I was mesmerized or something.

"Does my appearance please you, Master?" Akiza asked in character. "It does. _Very_," I answered. She swayed her way towards me and stopped in front of me. Without a clue, Akiza pushed me back onto the bed with one hand. "That's what I thought," she said. Akiza crawled onto my chest and literally clamped onto me. I felt a few of her hair strands tickle my face. We stared into each other's eyes for a few long moments. Akiza took the initiative and planted her lips on mine. I went along and tried to add on to it. This kiss seemed to be more….passionate than the others preceding it. It even said, "I'll be yours now and forever, no matter what." She pulled her head up and said, "Now let's get Master out of these stubborn wraps." I could feel my belt being undone. I think it's pretty obvious what Akiza wanted to do. All I have left to say is: I'm so fortunate to have found Akiza.

_That is what people would call a finale. I thank those who followed this story from beginning to end. You guys rock. My next creation will not come until sometime after the start of June. I've got graduation to deal with. Go back and read my other stories until then. Again, I praise those who kept on the story. Were any of you jealous of Yusei?_


	18. Chapter 18

_OK, after seeing the Futurama 'Rebirth' episode, I figured I may as well reanimate this story one final time. Ideas for 'Maltese Dragon' are hit and miss. Enough rambling, let reanimation commence._

After Akiza and I had "consummated" our relationship, so to speak, the sweet musical sounds lulled us to sleep. As I slowly drifted into a deep sleep, I held Akiza close to me with my left arm. She extended her right arm across my chest and loosely latched her hand onto my wrist. "Good night Yusei," I heard her say in a sultry swoon. And just like that, I was out like a light.

While I snoozed, a few things kept coming up in the back of my mind. Despite everything I had gone through with this enchanting woman, I felt like it wasn't entirely over. Everything with Akiza has happened in twos. I mean, it took two duels for me to get through to her. So that means there may be a conclusion to this….whatever-it-was she and I had this evening. That's when I heard a familiar voice.

"Are you dreaming about me Yusei?" the voice echoed in my head. "And thinking," I added. "I like the sound of that," Akiza told me. Even in a dream world, she still has that….magnificent charm about her. "I figured you would," I answered back. A small and amused laugh also reverberated in my head. "Well Yusei, to answer your question," she said, "there is a sequel to the…..fun you and I had earlier tonight." Now I was intrigued. "Um…..are you gonna tell me?" I inquired to Akiza. Again, some laughing echoed throughout my head. "I won't say what it is, otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise," she teased, "but I will say where we have to go." Travel, eh? This just got interesting. "This will involve us having to go…underwater," Akiza concluded, "and one more thing Yusei: please wake up."

My eyes shot open to see strands of tangled magenta hair. I took in a deep whiff, hoping not to wake her up. "Strawberry," I whispered. "Looks like somebody's awake," Akiza greeted me. The magenta threads were moved to reveal Akiza's elegant face looking back at me. "You told me to wake up," I pointed out, "and what time is it exactly?" I looked at my clock, only to find out that Akiza's dress completely covered it. "Let's just say whatever time sunrise is," she said while trying to sit up. I didn't know what was going through her mind, but Akiza began walking around and gathering her clothes in the buff. Rather than ask, I kept quiet and watched her. She saw me watching her and gave me that flirtatious wink. I rolled out of bed and donned my street clothes at the same time as Akiza got her stuff on. Once everything was squared away, we slowly tiptoed outside so as to not awaken the twins.

Eventually, Akiza and I made it down to the streets of New Domino, where multitudes of people were on their way to whatever it was they had to do. "Come on," Akiza said to me as she grabbed my hand and tugged me down the street. "Where exactly are we going?" I asked. "You'll see," she answered back.

After what seemed like forever navigating through lots and lots of people, Akiza brought us to the New Domino harbor. The stench of fish and oil mingled in the air around us. "Over there," Akiza said as she pointed to a specific spot. We strolled down to find a boat big enough for two people outfitted with a motor and containing two sets of scuba gear. "We're going diving?" I asked aloud. Akiza bobbed her head from side to side while answering, "Yes, but you'll have to wait and see where we're going." All I could do was shrug at her answer. We got in the boat and I managed to get the motor running. Sure enough, we pulled away far enough from the city skyline that we could barely see it.

"Alright, this is good. Stop here," Akiza relayed to me as I killed the motor. Whatever she had up her sleeve, I wanted to see it. "Now then Yusei," she spoke up, "I need you to look away as I slip on my diving suit." I shrugged again and look back at the city. Barely a minute passed before Akiza said, "You can look now." I turned around to find out that Akiza was not wearing an ordinary scuba suit. I could tell it was definitely made from whatever material these suits are made of, but hers was fashioned to be a two piece swimsuit. I stuttered nonsense as I took in the beauty before me. Akiza always finds a way to show off her majestic form. "Now you," she said while pointing down at my scuba suit, "and I won't peak while you put it on." She turned away and I quickly got into my suit to not keep her waiting. "Ta-dah," I said to get her attention. "Alright," she said after clapping her hands together, "we've got our suits on, oxygen tanks, and etcetera. Let's go diving."

We jumped into the water, which was strangely balmy. Ordinarily, people don't swim in these waters. Whatever the reason, at least I was seeing what was underwater with Akiza. To my amazement, hundreds of fish and other sea creatures were down here. I didn't think this'd be possible considering this body of water separates New Domino from Satellite. Even so, I was going to take all this in while I had the chance.

I looked down at Akiza, who I assumed was taking in the sight just as much as me. The way she swam and everything was hypnotic, just like everything else she did. Akiza flipped over to see me. All I did was wave at her. She must've liked that as she kind of chuckled under her mask. She pointed at an opening on the side of a massive coral construct. Akiza began to swim toward it and I followed right behind her. Perhaps this is what she had in store for me.

_Alright then, I figured I may as well stop here. The conclusion will not come until I get some suggestions for 'The Maltese Dragon' or I get bored again and finish this. Let the ideas flow…_


End file.
